Back to Reviews

The Fuzion Café

Flavorful fare, worth the way ...

Burmese Noodles, a balance of fresh and flavorful with a nice crunch for good measure. Photo credit: Jackie Fender

Email Article Print Article Share on Facebook Share on Reddit Share on StumbleUpon

ANNOUNCER: This week, Dutch and Jackie head down 6th Ave. in Tacoma -- no, the other end of 6th -- to the Fuzion Café. Here, a foundation of Thai cuisine is combined with the flavors of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

DUTCH: After 30 minutes of my arrival without even a "how ya doin?" by the staff, I was nearly ready to walk out and hit up . . . well, anywhere but here. After my appetizer of coconut prawns arrived, I was glad I stuck it out. The presentation of six large skewered prawns, battered and rolled in toasted coconut, then placed upright in a large wedge of fresh pineapple certainly peaked my interest. A quick dip into the spicy Thai sauce, and a crunch into the crispy, yet, light coating, and I was impressed with the quality coming from the kitchen.

JACKIE: I'm sensing a trend here. Though we were greeted swiftly after taking a seat (I did have an adorable 4-year-old with me), we sat, and sat, and sat before getting to place our order. I took that time to admire the ambiance. Fuzion transformed the space from the once casual café, to a vibe that exudes the exotic flare of the dishes. We started with the fresh spring rolls, which were, in fact, loaded with crisp fresh greens, julienned carrots and shrimp.

DUTCH: The caramelized crispy noodles are a unique dish where crispy noodles are cooked up in a wok with a tangy Asian sauce until the sugars caramelize them together. These are then topped with your choice of chicken or pork that has been lightly battered and deep-fried before being tossed in even more of the sauce for a strong flavor balance. Everything is then combined with fresh pineapple, green onions, hot peppers and other assorted vegetables. A healthy sized serving of crispy, tender, sweet, spicy and crunchy in each bite. This is exactly what Asian fusion is all about.

JACKIE: We opted for two dishes including the Burmese Noodles, which for those interested, are gluten-free. Loaded with green beans, bell peppers and basil, the pan-fried noodles are tossed in a dynamite combo of peanut sauce and red curry, then finished with a nice crunch from crumbled peanuts. The other dish we dived into is my personal favorite, the Spicy Basil. This dish is loaded with flavor throughout and highlights a delectable heat with each bite. Bamboo, green bell pepper, carrot, mushroom, zucchini and basil abound, swimming in the perfect portion of spicy basil sauce with a side of rice for good measure. Pair that with a Thai Iced Coffee and that case of the crankies you developed while waiting is forgiven.

DUTCH: Though the service needs some attention, the food here shows incredible care by the kitchen staff. From top to bottom, the mixture of fresh ingredients and presentation made it all worth the wait. I even found myself grabbing a bowl of the house-made coconut ice cream, which turned out to be the tip of the food iceberg here.

JACKIE: I'm experiencing dessert envy. I did not get myself the coconut ice cream. I guess there's always next time.

The Fuzion Café, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday-Friday; noon-9 p.m., Saturday; closed Sunday, 6820 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253.267.1566

Read next close

Travel

A fun day in Poulsbo

comments powered by Disqus